Feeding device



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F. x. MALOCSAY.

FEEDING DEVICE File d May 21, 1923" 7 SheetsSheet ZMK 0/1? Suva/Ate:

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7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mom 1 2 FEEDING DEVICE Filed May 192:5

F. X. MALOCSAY May 10, 1927.

May 10 1927.

F. X. MALOGSAY FEEDING DEvIE '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 1923 PiE/l-u I 3 1 Sum/n01;

F. X. MALOCSAY FEEDING DEVICE May To, 1927.

7 Sheets-Shed 5 Filed May 21 1923 vwemtoz F- X. MALOCSAY FEEDING DEVI Filed May 2 1923 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY ATTORNE f I May 10, 1927- x, MALocsAY FEEDING" DEVICE Filed May 21., 1923 Sheets-Sheet 7 BY ATT o j Y Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics.

FRANCIS X. MALOCSAY, OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO INTER- NATIONAL BANDING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FEEDING Application filed l liay 21,

. This invention relates to amachine in which a plurality of articles are moved, .carricd or fed, singly, to predetermined positions.

More particularly this invention relates to cigar feeding'means adapted to be used in connection with a cigar banding machine to feed cigars to said banding vmachine. Hitherto, two operators were essential in i operating a cigar banding machine, one operator to feed the cigars to the banding ma.- chine to effective, properly gauged position, and the second operator to remove the banded cigars; however, with my invention, one operator is eliminated and a plurality of articles are fed singly to a predetermined feeding position and then transferred automatically to banding position for the purpose of having the banding 2 mechanism apply a wrapper or band, and thereafter the article is automatically moved to discharging position. One of the objects of my invention is-to provide feeding means which will obviate the necessity for one of said operators by providing automatic means for feeding the cigars to effective, properly gauged position for banding. p

Another object of my invention is the provision of mechanism for moving a plurality of articles one. at a time to a feeding, banding and discharge position respectively.

Another object of my invention .is the provision of automatic feeding means as herein described, which will feed the cigars at regular intervals with any desired speed.

Another object of my invention is the provision of adjusting means for insuring feeding of cigars, regardless of their size,

to exact banding position.

A further object is the synchronization of the movements cf the. feeding device with the movement of the banding machine in such manner as to permithigh speed operation of the banding machine and greater production than is possible by hand.

A further object of my invention is to provide effective means for removing from the banding position the cigar which has been banded and transferring it to dis- DEVICE.

1923. Serial No. 640,463.

charging position simultaneously with the feeding of the next cigar to be banded from feeding position to banding position.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel ejecting means for transferring the banded cigars from discharging position to packing position, ready to be transferred to the box, and to perform this function simultaneously with the feeding of the unbanded cigars from feeding position to banding position, and with the transfer of the banded cigars, from banding position to discharging position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of feeding, discharging and ejectmg means adapted to maintain cigars which have been packed (and therefore given certain definite interlocking shapes) in the same relative positions, and without turning, twisting, displacing from regular order and line or in any other manner de-. stroying the relative positions of the cigars toward each other.

A further object is the provision of-adjusting means permitting the devices hereinbefore described to be effective for any size of cigar, so that the cigars will be fed tobanding position not more than one at a time. I

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and corelation of instrumentalities herein fully def'cribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to describe corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then finally pointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but

the invention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, standpoint. a

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a Variety of mechanical expreS- sions, one of which, for the purposes of illustration, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in WhlCl1- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cigar banding machine embodying my invention, the base or pedestal forming partof themain frame being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, with the top plate or bed in position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 2, but with the top plate or bed removed, thereby exposing the mechanism beneath the plate.

' Fig. 4 is an end elevation taken from the left hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. K

Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken from the right hand side of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing the extreme right hand portion of the machine, omitted from Fig. 1, together with theconnecting mechanism.

For convenience in describing my inven-.

tion I prefer to subdivide the specification into the following Lections:

I. The feeding wwehm'zts'm.l or moving cigars to feeding position B.

1?. The grip 1c, block head and gripping /in (')'.s=.l or moving cigars from feeding position l) to banding position A and from banding position A to ejecting position C.

The ejecting .mechane's m.For moving the cigars from ejecting charging position D. I

4. The adjusting mechamlwn.For regulating and adjusting of the various elements to properly handle articles of different size. 5. The complete operation of the machine.

position C to dis- 1. The feeding mechanism.

A. layer of cigars 1 is adapted to be placed, or discharged from a hopper or container, upon a table 2, in such manner that the cigars occupy the same relative positions as in the cigar-box when packed.

The feeding mechanism comprises two or more bars 3 which operate in slots in the table 2 (see Figs. 1, 2, 4) and which are given both an up'and down movement and also a left to right movement. The movement is therefore essentially elliptic. In their upward and right movement the bars are raised above table 2 to lift the row of cigars off the table and move them to-the right. In their lower and'lcft movement they deposit. the cigars on the table and move beneath the table out of contact with the cigars. I

Each bar 3 is provided with a downwardl v-extending.fork 30 adapted to straddle a shaft 5' at one end of an arm 60f bell-crank 7 pivoted in a hanger'8 fixed to the main fixed frame of the machine. Also pivoted on the axis of shaft 5 is a gauge finger 9 adapted in its extreme movement to the right to gauge the cigar in feeding position. A plurality of gauge fingers 9 are shown, and in the following description it will be understood that whenever a gauge finger 9 is mentioned, a plurality of fingers may be imping fingers 4, 4* contact with the cigar in feeding position preparatory to moving said cigar to banding position. Then the gauge finger 9 is lowered out of contact with the cigar in feeding position, and the left movement thereof issubstantially the same as that of the bars 3. For the purpose of giving the bars their up and down movement there are provided bell cranks 12-42, pivoted on the fixed frame at. 43 43, having rollers 42-42 at each end of one arm and having the other arms ll11 connected by a link 13 to efi'ect parallel movement of the bell-cranks. The bars S'are each provided with a downwardly-extending rib 30 adapted. to enter the 19 at the extreme right, engaging a roller 20 at the end of arm 21' of said bell-crank. The forward and rearward movement of said bars, which is compounded with the up anddown movement, is effected by means of the bell-crank 7, one arm 6 of which engages in' the fork 30 on the underside. of the bars, said bell-crank 7 having a roller 25 in engagement with the cam 26 carried by a hub 27 fixedto the extreme left. end of an operating shaft; 29 to be reciprocated therewith. During the right movement of the cam, the

bars 3 drop because the roller 25 moves down the cam. The cam eventually moves so far to the right that the gauge finger 9 engages the row of cigars on the table which has suflicient resistance to prevent further downward rotation of the bell crank 7. The roller 25 may at this time be some distance off the-cam 26. By this arrangement, therefore, it. is assured that the gauge finger 9 will in every case come into contact with the next cigar to be moved to feeding position. The degree of movement of the gauge finger tothe left is such that said. finger engages the row of cigars and moves said row slightly toqthe left before it reaches the limit of its left movement. During the left movein engagement with ment of cam 26, bell crank 7 is rotated to move the bars 3 and finger 9 to'the right. Not only the bars. therefore, gets its right and left movement from cam 26 operated by the main shaft 29. Fin er 9, however, is only pivotally connected to-one arm of hell crank 7 and is given a separate, independent up and down movement, so that when the bars go down to deposit the cigars on the table top 2, the gauge 9 still remains upward until the gripping fingers -l-, 4 en- Jgage the cigar in feeding position B. 'hen the fingers 4. 4: have engaged the cigar in position B, the gauge 9 is ly to disengage said first cigar and is moved rearwardly by bell crank 7, together with the bars 3, and is later moved upwardly to engage the second cigar after having nee-n drawn back son'iewhat less than one cigar width. The movement to the left continues, so that gauge 9 moves the row of cigars to the left a trifle, as described, thus ensuring engagement with the next cigar. The movement to the right is then accomplished, as before, by the bell crank 7, the bars being in elevated position through the operation of links 14, 15. To give the gauge finger 9 a separate up and down movement. there is pivoted thereto at thereof, a link 32, whose other end has a universal connection 33 to a hub 34, which is operated by bell crank 35 (see Figs. 3 and 5) pivoted on'the main frame at 37 and having an arm 38 provided with a roller 39 at its end, in engagement with cam 36 on the driving shaft 40.

The operation of the feeding mechanism, although apparent from the foregoing description. may be described as follows: Assume gauge finger 9 and bars 3 are in their extreme left positions. The gauge finger is the next cigar to be moved to feeding position. The bars are then moved upwardly, the finger having right.

been raised during its travel to this position, to lift the cigars off the table, and to the The extreme right position of the bars and gauge finger determine the feeding positionof the cigars. The bars are then lowered to deposit the cigars on the table top but the gauge finger still remains elevated in engagement with the cigar in feeding position until the gripping fingers 4. 4 come into contact with the said cigar (by mechanism to be described hereinafter).

Then the gauge finger is lowered out of-en gagement with the cigar in feeding position and is moved with the bars toward the left. Near the end of its stroke toward the left the finger 9 is elevated in front of the next cigar to be moved to feeding position. This elevation of finger 9 occurs, therefore. before the finger has beenmoved to the left the The total stroke to the left somewhat exceeds one cigar but the finger 9 drawn downwardv 45, intermediate the length width, as hereinbefore described, to ensure engagement of the finger with the row of cigars. The bars are then moved upwardly and to the right, together with the fingers, to feeding position, as before. The timing of the various movements depends, of course, upon the shape, size, and positioning of the various driving cams described and these may be regulated at will to accomplish the desired results.

12. The gripper bloc/c and gripping fingers.

block 60 which is slidable on the shaft 29 for the purposes of adjustment (by means to be hereinafter described), but once adjusted, moves therewith through the connection comprising the link 51 and the lever 52 of the adjustment. Said lever 52 is pivoted on a shaft 53 in the hub 2.". the cam 26 moving integrally with said shaft and lever. Since the hub is reciprocated with the shaft 29, the link 51 will be similarly actuated to move the gripper block to the right as the cam moves toward the right. and move it toward the left as the cam moves toward the left. Since, when the cam 26 moves to the left, the feed bars. 3 and gauge finger 9 are moved toward the right, it will be obvious that the gripper block and the gripping fingers ,carried thereby will be moved toward the left, or, in other words, in a direction opposite to the bars. That is, as' the bars feed a cigar to feeding position,the gripper block and its gripping fingers move toward the cigar to engage it preparatory to moving it to the banding position. It is, of coin-so, necessary that the gripping fingers carried by the gripper block should be spread apart vertically before they engage the cigar in feeding position, so that they may come in contact with its upper and lower surfaces. For this purpose the gripper block carries pairs of upper fingers 4, 5 at the front and rear at the upper ends of slides 61. Said fingers are held elevated while the gripping block is moving to the left by means of a gripper bar 62 pivotally mounted at 63 on the main carriage 64,'said carriage being supported by rollers 65 on front andrear rails 66 (see Figs. 3 and 7). Said bar ($2 rests upon the upper end of a stem 71, said stein being in the form of a rack engaging bell cranks 72/72 each having one arm in the form of gear segments 73 engaging the rack and the other arms 74-74 having pins 75- 75 engaging projections 7 6-7 6 on the slides 6 which carry the left front and rear upper gripping fingers 44. The bell cranks are fixed upon shafts 81 which extend lengthwise of the machine and have at their other ends rollers similar to 75 which engage projections on the slides of the second pair of upper fingers 5-5. Thus,

when the shaft 29-is traveling toward the' left, the gripper bar 62 is depressed (by means to be hereinafter described) and such bar resting upon the upper end of stem 71 holds all four of the upper grippin fingers in elevated position. As the shaft comes to a stop at the end of its left movement, however, the gripper bar 62 is elevated, releasing the pressure upon rack 71 and permitting springs 99 to lower the fingers 4-4, -5 into engagement with the cigars in feeding and banding positions, respectively. The lower left gripping fingers 4--4 at the front and rear of the machine, are connected by a strip 82 and have formed in-' tegral therewith an arin83 vwhereby they are pivotally connected at 84 to the upper end of the gripper block 60. Normally, therefore, the fingers 4 are held by gravity in lowered position. A pin 86 (see Fig. 3) fixed to arm 83 engages the upper end of the gripper block to limit this downward movement. The connecting strip 82 rests upon the upper surface of bar 62 so that as said bar, at the end of its left movement, is elevated. it carries therewith the left lower gripping fingers 4*4, which thus engage the cigar in feeding position at the same time that the upper left fingers 44 engage the upper surface ofsaid cigar. The shaft 29 now moves toward the right, the gripping. fingers 4 and 4 carrying the cigar from the feeding position indicated by the axis B to the handing position indicated by axis A.

At the end of the right movement of the shaft, pivoted bar 62 is again lowered to lower the lower fingers 44 and press upon the rack 71 to raise the upper fingers 4-4,

" thus disengaging the cigar 1n the bandlng position from the grippers. The operation heretofore described is.repeated as the bar moves toward the left.

As the gripper bar 62 rises at the end of its left movement to cause upper fingers -1nember 62 rises to permit upper fingers 4--4 and 5-5 to descend and carry lower left finger 4 upwardly, it will also carry the lower right fingers 5 -upwardly, since aid fingers are formed integral with memher At the same time, therefore, that lingers 4 and 4 engage the cigar in feeding position, fingers 6 and 5 engagethe cigar which has been handed, so that when the shaft 29 and gripper bar 62 begin their movement toward their right, not only will the cigar in the feeding position be carried to the banding position A, but the cigar which was in banding position A will be carried to the ejecting position 0 The gripper bar 62 moves left and right with the main carriage 64 mounted on rollers 65 upon tracks 66 of the fixed frame of the machine, as hereinbefore described, to which is pivotally connected the bar 62 at 63. The up and down movement of the bar 62 is effected by means of a link pivotally connected thereto at one end at 91 and at its other end engaging at 97 the same bell crank 16 which gives the bars 3 their up and down movement. Since, as the bars 3 travel to the left preparatory to feeding the next cigar to feeding position, the bar 62 is to be moved upwardly to permit the fingers 4 and 4 to engage the cigar in feeding position, the linkage from hell crank 16 is correctly shown in that the bars will be moved downwardly when the bar 62 is moved upwardly. The left-and-right movement of the bar 62 is, of course, the same as that of the main carriage 64, and is effected by a cam 92 engaging a. roller 93 on an arm integral with link 94 pivoted at its lower end at 95 in the fixed frame and connected at its upper end to main carriage 64 which is fixed to shaft 29 and the mechanism supported thereby.

The operation of the gripper head will be apparent from the foregoing. description, but may be briefly described as, follows: .Through cam 92, the main carriage 64 and shaft 29 are reciprocated. Saidshaft carries the gripper block, the four upper gripping fingers 4-4, 55, and the two left lower gripping fingers 4-4. Upon the main carriage is mounted the pivoted grip per' bar 62 which carries the right lower fingers 5--5. As the main carriage moves toward the left, the bar is lowered to cause fingers 44, 55 to move away from fingers ls -4, 5'5 As the main carriage approaches its extreme left position, bar 62 is raised to cause fingers 44 .44 to grip the cigar in feeding position, andto cause finger 5-5, 5*5 to grip the cigar which has been .banded. Upon movement of the main carriage to the right, these cigars are moved to banding position A and ejecting position C, respectively. As the main carriage reaches its extreme right position the bar 62 is again depressed to move all fingers out of engagement with their cigars. The

process is then repeated.

3. The ejecting mechanism.

Slidably mounted in grooves 101 in the pivoted gripper bar 62 is an auxiliary carriage 102 having fixed thereto upstanding fingers 107 projecting through slots 106 in the table 2, of such length that when the bar 62 is in its lower position, these fingers 107 willbe below the top of the table, but when the gripper bar 62 is in its. upper position, the fingers will project upward a suliicient distance to engage the cigar in the ejecting position C, and, in the movement of bar 62 to the right, move-such cigar to th discharging position D. The auxiliary carriage 107 is so positioned in the bar 62 that it has a certain amount of lost motion and is provided with a separate drive to give it a right-and-left movement independent of gripper bar 62 but partaking of the up-anddown movement of the latter. To give the ejecting fingers 107 their separate and individual movement, there is connected to said auxiliary carriage a link 108 driven by a cam 109 and link 110 similar to cam 92 and link 94, said cams being operated from the main drive to be hereinafter described.

The separate movement of carriage 102 is desirable for the purpose of imparting a slower movement to finger 107 than of tingers 4, 5, 4, 5 and the gripper bar 62, for if finger 107 traveled at the same speed as the latterelements it would strike the cigar in ejecting position C a sharp blow which might possibly result in injury to the cigar or in pied relative to the adjacent cigars. Therefore by forming cam 109 to start carriage 102 toward the right before gripper block 62 and end its movement at about the same time, and by reciprocating said carriage cigar which 1S to through a smaller amplitude than said. gripper block a much 7 slower movement of the carriage 102 is effected, i. e., the time of reciprocation is greater and the amplitude smaller than that of gripper bar 62, so that the finger 107 travels through a smaller distance in a longer time. The result is a gentle, slow movement of finger 107 which 'contacts with the cigar in'e ecting position without possibility of damage or displacement from its original position on the table relative to adjacent cigars. The slots 101 provide sufficient lost-motion to take care of the difference in amplitude of reciprocation of gripper bar 62 and carriage 102.;

1;. The adjusting mechanism.

mechanism fixed thereto, said mechanismincluding the gripper head and its fingers and the gripper bar 62 and its fingers. This movement is always constant and is the distance from B to A .or'the equal distance A to (I. As has been described, on the movement of gauge finger 9 to the lef said finger comes up slightly in advance of the next be moved to feeding position and upon continued movement to the left, engages said next cigar and thereafter,

displacing it from the position it occugauge 9 to the 11121)! be provided with index numerals 120 when the feeding mechanism operates toward the right, the gauge and cigar with which it contacts are brought to the feeding position. The gauge finger 9 will without adjustment always occupy the position shown when in extreme right position so that it is obvious that if a cigar half the size of the one shown were to be fed, said cigar would have its axis, instead of on the line B, half way between the line B and the finger. When, now, the gripper head moves the distance equal to the distance from B to A, the axis of the cigar at A will be as much to the left of A as it was to the left of B. Since it is essential that the cigar should be properly positioned at the banding machine,for otherwise the band would not be properly applied,so1ne adjustment must be made whereby the axis of the cigar, no matter what its width, will always be when in feeding position upon the line B so that when the gripper head moves the distance B to A, its axis wheirmoved to banding position will always be upon the line A and therefore in the proper efi'ective bandiiig position. Therefore, mechanism is supplied for adjusting the extreme right position of the gauge finger 9 toward the right or toward the left, depending upon whether a wider or narrower cigar is to be fed, so that with the gauge finger in its position furthest the right, the axis of the cigar will be upon ,An operating handle 116, pivoted at 115, has

formed integrally therewith an arm 118 engaging in the forked end of the pivoted lever 52, said lever being pivoted at 53 in the huhv 27 which is fixed to the end of shaft 29, the pivotal axis 53 having fixed at its other end the cam 26. Obviously, by rotating the handle 116, the cam 26 will be rotated to provide greater or lesser inclination and hence greater or lesser throw of the feed bars and right. An index plate 119 and with openings 121, into which a spring detent 117, carried by arm 116, may extend. It is only necessary to adjust the movement of feed bars 3 and gauge finger 9 to 'the right, since, as we have seen, in its left movement, the-cam roller 25 leaves the cam "26 and thegauge finger 9 is free to swing nearer the axis B by the desired amount, in I other-words, its throw to the right is di-' minished. If a wider cigar is to befed', the

extreme right position of the gauge finger is adjusted so that its extreme right position is further away from the axis 13, i. e., the throw to the right is increased.

Since the gripping fingers 4 and 4 grip the cigar in feeding position preparatory to transferring it to banding position, it ,will he seen that if anarrower cigar is employed than the one shown, for example, not only will the first cigar be positioned between lingers 4 and 4, but said fingers will also overlap the second cigar and may drag two cigars therewith toward the banding position. I It is, therefore, apparent that when the gauge finger 9 is adjusted for a wider or narrower cigar, it is necessary also to adjust the extreme left positions of fingers 4 and 4, that is, if the extreme right position of gauge finger 9 is moved nearer the-axis B for a thinner cigar, the extreme left position of gripping fingers 4 and 4 must.bc moved toward the right,.so that the ends thereof also approach the axis B; that is, the distance from the ends of gripper fingers 4 and P, and gauge finger 9 is reduced to substantially the new width of the cigar, or increased, as the case may be. To accomplish this, the gripper head carrying the gripper fingers H, 4 4 is not fixed to the shaft 29 but is slidably mounted thereen and is connected thereto, as we have seen,

by the link 51. Said link is connected at one end to the gripper head and at the other end to the lever 52, so that as adjustment is made by handle 116 to move the gauge finger 9 toward or away from the axis B, the gripper head will be operated in the reverse direction, that is, if the ,gauge finger 9 is moved .toward the left by this adjustment, the gripper head is moved toward the right, and vice versa. The griper head is prevented from rotating about shaft 29 by means of a downwardly extending straddle memher 130, fixed to shaft 29 and adapted to strafddle shaft 131, fixed to the gripper block 60.

The machine can be driven from any suitable source of power, as by a motor, either directly or from a suitable belting to drive the shaft 40 and hence operate cam 36 upon such shaft, such shaft 40 having at its end a bevel gear 140 meshing with a bevel gear .1 11 upon a shaft 142 at the extreme right of the machine upon which are mounted the operating cams 19, 92 and 109. The main carriage is driven from the link 94, operated from cam 92 by means of a link .143, pivotally connected to link 94 at one en at 145 and fixedly connected to the shaft 29 at 146.

The shaft 29 is fixedly connected in the main carriage and thereforecauses rnovement of the gripper head60, the gripper bar 62 and the auxiliary carriage 102.

For maintaining crank 35 in engagement I with cam 36, there may be provided a spring 150. For maintaining cam roller 25 normally in engagement with cam 26, there is provided a lightspring 151. For maintaining bell crank 16 in engagement with cam 19, there may be provided a spring 152. Similarly springs are provided for normally holding links 94 and 110 in engagement with cams 92 and 109, respectively;

5. [/16 complete operation of the machine.

The complete operation of the entire machine, although the composite of the state-' ments hereinbefore set forth, may be sum marized as follows: I

Assume all the parts are as shown in Fig. 1. The gripping fingers H, 4- P have just come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the cigar in the feeding position B. 5-.5 have just come int-o engagement with the upper and lower surfaces of the cigar in banding position A. The ejecting fingers 107 have just risen above the top of the table, a short distance behind the cigar in ejecting position C. The cams now operate in such manner that the feed bars 3 are moving downwardly to be followed shortly thereafter by the gauge finger 9, after the fingers H, 44 have en aged the cigar in feeding position B. 'The bars and finger 9 then move toward the left. At the same time gripper head 60, gripper ear 62 and auxiliary carriage 102 are moving toward [the right, so that the cigar in feeding position 13 will be deposited in banding or oping position A will be deposited in ejecting position C, while ejecting finger 107 will, after a short while, engage the cigar in ejecting position 0 to move said cigar to discharging position 1). It will be apparent that there'is a. certain amount of lost motion before ejecting fingers 107 engage" the cigar in ejecting position C. This is highly desirable, because it prevents a veny sudden and severe blow from being struck on the cigar in position Q. As the, bars 3 and gauge finder 9 reach their extreme left position, the bars are elevated, finger 9 having risen during its travel to the left just in so I The gripping fingers 5"5,

Inn

same time the main shaft 29, with its gripper head 60, gripper bars 62, ejecting linger 10?, start their movement toward the left.

but before such movement begins, gripper bar 02 is lowered to move fingers 44,

44, 5-5, 5--5 out of engagement with their respective cigars and move the linger livered every time vices;

107 below thetop of the table. The reciprocating shaft 29 with its attached mechanism, now moves tqward the left until the fingered-4, 4 are ready'to grip the cigar in feeding position B, whereupon the gripper bar 62 is raised to permit all the gripping fingers to engage the respective cigars. This operat'on is repeated continuously.

After the cigars have been moved from ejecting position to discharging osition, they are ready to be reassembled in t- 1e boxes from which they came originally It will he observed that from the beginning of the feeding operation until the cigars are finally discharged, they have maintainedtheir relative positions without turning or twisting and without being displaced from their original order. I discharging position, there is provided means to prevent upsetting of the row of banded cigars due to the blow which is dethe ejecting fingers 107 operate to move an additional cigar to discharging position. .For this purpose there is provided a substantially horizontal bar 160 (see Fig. 6) acting as a weight adapted to rest lightly upon the cigars. The bar 160 has fixed thereto an upstanding arm 1 61 connected to an arm 162 of a bracket 163, whereby the member160 is supported. The upstanding arm 161 may have a-pin and slot connection 164, 165 with the arm 162 of the bracket to permit cigars of various thicknesses to be moved beneath weight 160. The

left hand end'of bar 160 may be curved upwardly to facilitate insertion of cigars thereunder. I

In the foregoi specification, I have described this inventlon as a means for feeding and handing cigars- It will be understood that this was merely for illustrative purposes and that the machine is capable of awide variety of uses wherein it is desired to feed a plurality of articles one at a time to an operating position to be operated upon by some mechanism. In the present case this mechanismis a banding machine, but it will be understood thati-n other uses of the device, this machine can be of some other type. Thus, for example, the device may be used in connection with candy wrapping ,or banding machinery, or other types of wrapping or banding machinery, wherein a plurality of similar articles are fed to a banding or wrapping machine and then discharged.

The subject matter of this application is disclosed and claimed in part in each of my following copending 1 applications: Serial No. 640 464, for adjusting mechanism; Serial No; 640,465, for automatic feeding mechanism; Serial No. 640,466, for gripping de- Serial No. 640,467, for feeding devices, all of said applications filed May'Ql, 1923.

As the cigars accumulate in cpositiorrto' ejecting position,

In accordancewith the provisions of the patent statute, I have described the principle of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent a practical embodiment thereof, but I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular form of apparatus herein shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which the objects of my inventionare attained, and the new results accomplished, as herein set forth, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

Having described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patents is 1, In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for moving toward feed ing position a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, and means for actuating said cigars one at a time from feeding position to banding position without changing the rotative relationship of -the respective actuated cigars to the remaining cigars of said row.

2. In a combined cigar feeding and bandmeans for moving toward feedmg-posltlon a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, S and leg machine,

means for carrying said cigars one at a time.

from feeding position to banding position tion without changing the rotative relationship of the respective actuated cigars to the remaining cigars of said row.

- 3. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for moving toward feeding position a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, means for actuating said cigars one at a time from feeding position to banding position. and means ing position to ejecting position, all of said means being adapted .to maintain unchanged the rotative relationship of the actuated cigars to theremaining cigars of said row.

4. In a combined cigar feeding and bandingmachine, means for movingtoward feeding position a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, means for carrying said cigars one at a time from feeding position to banding position, and means for carrying said all of said means being adapted to maintain unchanged the rotative relationship of the "actuated cigars to the remaining cigars of said row.

5. In a combined cigar feeding and bandcigars from banding and that the/invention can be for actuating said cigars from bandinitially.

ing position a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, means for actuating said cigars one at a time from feeding position to banding position. means for carrying said cigars from banding position to ejecting position, and means for actuating said cigars from ejecting position to discharging position, all of said actuations being performed in a single horizontal plane. Y r

7. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means'for moving towardfeeding position a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other,means for actuating said cigars one at a time from feeding position to banding position, means for carrying said cigars from banding position'to ejecting position, and means for actuating saidv cigars from ejecting position to dischargin position,

each of said actuations being per ormed-in a single step, and without changing the rotative relation of each of said cigars to the ie a, mainingcigars in said row.

8. In a device of the character described. a table for supporting a row of'packed cigars bearing a definite relation to each other, a plurality of means for successively actuating each of said cigarsto feeding, banding, ejecting and discharging positions along said table.

9. In a device of the character described, .a table for supporting a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation to each other, a plurality of ineans for successively actuating each of said cigars to'feeding, banding, ejecting and discharging positions along said table, each of-said means being adapted to performthe respective actuations in a single step,

10. In a device of the characted described, artable for supporting a row of packed cigars bearing a definite relationto each other, a plurality of means for successively actuating each of said cigars to feeding, banding, ejecting and discharging positions alongsaid table, each of said means being adapted to perform the respective actua- ;a combined cigar feeding and band-- ing machine, means for moving toward feedtions in a single step, and without changing the relation of each of said cigars to the remaining cigars in said row.

, 11. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for supporting a row of packed cigars bearing a definite rela tion toward each other, a plurality of means for actuating said cigars successively to a plurality of positions, and means where-- by said cigars are continuously, engaged throughout the actuation thereof to prevent changes in rotative relationship of said cigars to each other.

12. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for supporting the row of packed cigars bearing a definite relation toward each other, a plurality of means for actuating said cigars successively to feeding. operating, ejecting and discharg ing ,positions, and means whereby said cigars are continuously engaged throughout the actuation thereof to prevent changes in rotative relationship of said cigars to each other.

1'3. In a device of the character described, means for feeding a packed row of irregular shaped objects bearing a definite relation to each other, means for actuating said objects one by one from feeding to operating position, means for actuating said objects from operating to ejecting position, means for operating said objectsfrom ejecting to discharging position, and 'means whereby said last named movement is accomplished slower than said two preceding movements.

14. Ina device of the character described, means for feeding a packed row of irregular shaped objects bearing a definite relation to each other, means for actuating said objects f one by one from feeding to operating position, means for actuating said objects from operating to ejecting position, means for operating said objects from ejecting to discharging position, and means whereby said last named movement is smaller than said two preceding movements, a

15. In a combined cigar feedingand banding machine, means for feeding apackedrow (1f cigars bearingia definite relation to each a other, means for" actuating said cigars one by one from i' feeding to operating position, means for actuating said cigars from operating to ejecting position, means for operating said cigars from ejecting to discharging position, and means whereby said last named movement is accomplished slower than said two preceding movements.

' 16. In a combined cigar feeding andbanding machine, means for feeding a packed row of cigars bearing a definite relation to each other, means for actuating said cigars one by one from feeding-to operating osition, means for actuating said cigars rom operating to ejecting position, means for operating said cigars from ejecting to dis charging position, and means whereby said last named movement is smaller than said two preceding movements.

17. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine, means for moving a row of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means for moving each cigar from feeding position to banding position, and means for moving said cigars from banding position to ejecting position in the same relativerotative positions they occupied before being moved to feeding position.

18. In a combined cigar feeding and banding machine,means for moving a row of cigars one at a time to feeding position, means for moving each cigar from feeding position to banding position, means'for moving said cigars from banding position to ejecting position, and means for moving said cigars from ejecting position to discharging position in the same relative rotative positions they occupied before being moved-to feeding position.

This specification signed this 7. day of May, 1923.

FRANCIS X.- MALOCSAY. 

